Paying compliments is paying off for Miriam Glassman.

Glassman calls herself a flattery specialist. Her company, Flatter Me, is all about spreading compliments and good cheer across the world.

For $5 US, Glassman will call anyone in Canada or the United States to send him or her a kind message from you. International calls are $10.

"It's a gift to recognize someone and surprise them with something different and fun," explained Glassman.

Messages can be customized with inside jokes or personal messages to a loved one. If senders choose not to go the customization route, Glassman will just remind the receiver that someone out there appreciates him or her.

The calls Glassman places run the gamut from silly to heartfelt. A recent call she placed was to the mother of a young man who was going to the army. The woman's daughter ordered the call to remind her mom just how great she was. "It brought the mom to tears," said Glassman. "It was just a small gesture to make someone feel good."

A typical day has Glassman calling 60 people. She estimated that she has placed over 5,000 calls since she launched the Flatter Me website in October. She has spread kind words across North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.

The entire business is run out of Glassman's home in Montreal. Though Flatter Me is small so far — she just hired a French-speaking person (the company's second employee) two weeks ago — she said she definitely sees potential for growth in the corporate market. One type of call she makes is the employee motivation call, which managers can purchase to let their employees know they're doing a great job. Glassman has placed calls for Kraft Canada, Dell, Coors Brewing Company and more.

The idea came to Glassman after quitting her job as a marketing executive. "I wanted to do something creative and fun. Something I would enjoy doing," she remembered. A brainstorming session with a friend culminated in a list of things she enjoyed doing, and she saw two that could be combined. "I love complimenting people, and love the phone," she laughed.

So far, the job seems like a perfect fit. "I've touched a lot of people and moved a lot of people — it makes me feel really good."

Glassman acknowledged her service isn't loved by everyone. "It's a little controversial, because people say, 'Why not compliment someone, yourself?' That's not what it's about — it's about surprising someone."

Responses to the calls have been overwhelmingly positive. "I've never had a negative reaction," said Glassman, adding that she did have some initial difficulty placing the calls. "In the beginning, I learned that people might think it's a prank. I learned to tell them right away that it's a gift. Then they stop. They listen."

She's been featured in The Montreal Gazette, Global News, CTV, and was named CBC's Montrealer of the Week.

So if you're having trouble asking out that girl from math class, you want a unique way to say thank you to someone special, or just want to send a Valentine in a wacky way, check out www.flattermecalls.com. And remember, you're awesome!